11-Year-Old Leads Siblings To Safety From Douglasville House Fire

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Working smoke detectors helped an 11-year-old boy save the lives of his siblings from a house fire on July 4 in Douglasville.

When Douglas County firefighters responded to the Sunday-morning fire on Greenbrook Drive, they found the house half engulfed in flames, said county spokesperson Rick Martin.

What they did not find was anyone who needed to be rescued. The home’s five occupants — aged 6, 8, 9, 11 and 14 — escaped the house uninjured before firefighters arrived.

The property had working smoke alarms at the time of the fire. Martin said. Investigators later learned the fire was initially identified by the 11-year-old, who in turn alerted his siblings.

The fire was extinguished about two hours later, with the home a total loss. The Douglas County Fire Department is investigating where and why the fire started.